Behind the vine

Alice Jun - Hana Makgeolli - Brooklyn, New York, USA

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

My interest in Makgeolli (artisanal Korean rice wine) is rooted in my love for Korean food and beverages, and my love for the Korean fermentation style. Makgeolli is such a historic beverage and plays a significant part in fermentation culture in Korea. Growing up, my dad and I did home brewing together. I would always help to wash the rice and put it in fermentation barrels. It was a fun activity we did together, and the turning point was really after I started home brewing on my own when I went to college in New York.

I branded Hana Makgeolli as a home brewing project and did events in New York City. I got to meet so many people and saw the reactions to my wine from people who were strangers of all different backgrounds. It gave me live feedback that this style of Korean brewing that previously I'd only shared with my friends and family was resonating with more people.

I started noticing the market potential of this product as Korean gastronomy was growing in the US and as consumer tastes were trending to more craft brewing and natural wine with spontaneous fermentations - which arguably grew out of the world of rice wine. This convergence of trends pointed towards Makgeolli as an opportunity and after I met my business partner we brought it to life!

What story does your wine tell?

Our logo is a great starting point to understanding our story. I designed the logo with a friend and the inspiration for it was really trying to personify the style of our wine.

First and foremost, it is a woman in honor of the Korean women who historically advanced and documented techniques of fermentation in the category. Then, it's about how she is shaped. I was thinking about the flavor profile when we designed her and Hana is strong and powerful, but also nurturing and comforting. She's bigger and stronger to represent the wine's strong complexity, flavour and ABV, but also very warm and disciplined. Her body is shaped like an Onggi which is the traditional vessel for fermentation in Korea, but also the universal Venus shape of a woman that we know.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

There are so many.

One important misconception is this idea that there's a blanket standard on what is natural and what is high quality when it comes to wine. People love to pit natural wine against other wines, but that just limits a consumer's understanding of how both styles can be beautiful. You have to be open-minded to why a producer makes the decisions that they do. It's not always that they think their way is better than any other way. For example, I've never been taught to brew with lab-based yeast. That's just not the school of learning that I've come from, but I understand that it's a different take on things and that last thing I'd want to do is bad mouth another producer for using that style.

Another misconception is around the fermentation aspect of wine. I taste wines and often thing 'I wonder what yeast they used'. It's very possible to get two similar tasting wines if you're using the same commercial yeast, and I would love if people were pushed to get a better understanding of the fermentation aspect of wine.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

Generally speaking, the great thing about wine and fermentation is that no matter what style you're making, it takes a great amount of care. There is a ton of love and effort put into every bottle and I think people can really feel that.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

Stick to your guns. That's the best way I can describe it. As women we have an innate ability to listen, hear out and really understanding feedback and constructive criticisms. We take them to heart and try to make improvements to products, processes and brands. But at the heart of everything, if you have an idea it's so important to stick to your guns and try to build an interesting and consistent story that is true to you.

For Hana, that was especially true because of the novelty of our product. It was a leap of faith built on strong assumptions, but there were a lot of naysayers along the way and we wouldn't be where we are today if we didn't stick to our guns.

Where can women find your wine?

Our wines are available in our brewery in Greenpoint, BK or you can buy directly from our site. We’re also located in 54 retailer, bars and restaurants between NY and CA, with a few in the DC area. We’re slowly expanding our distribution.

Who is a women in wine you think everyone should know about?

There is a natural sake producer in Japan called Kuniko Mukai. She grows her rice herself in Japan and I think it's incredible that she's dedicated her life to making wonderful sake from grains that she grows. It's very difficult for women to get into the industry in Japan and Korea despite the fact that we are the original builders of the industry. So, she is very inspiring. It's hard to find her wines, but I suggest everyone tries to.